Democratic Primaries
In reply to the discussion: The busing issue is based on one unavoidable fact. [View all]GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)Granted, only as applied to my medium sized Southern city.
My dad favored integrating and wanted me attending school with Black kids. Hell, he fled the rural south to avoid the oppression.
That said, had he been able to afford it he would have put me in private school during my elementary school years when kids were bussed. As it was, twice in an elementary kids 6 year career, he or she were part of 2 bus loads of children from all the traditionally white schools were put on busses and taken to the predominantly black school, totally removing them from their growing social circle. Even worse, a majority of the black kids were shipped to all the white schools destroying any community support for the school since it was no longer a neighborhood school in any sense of the word.
My best friend of 41 years attended private school his entire elementary career. He, and almost all the other private school kids rejoined public school for 7th grade since they were not bussed. Those schools were entirely integrated and it is where I met my friend. His parents were and remain liberal. Well, only one still lives.
So in my one city at least the resistance was about bussing small kids across the city breaking up newly forming friendships at an age where they are learning to make friends. Not about segregation.
The end to bussing was celebrated by both blacks and whites.
Ironically the black kid we elected as Senior Class president was never bussed. His parents were doctors and his neighborhood school was majority white. Bussing him would have actually increased segregation!!
Again, this is a case of one group of kids in one southern city. Im sure there were other circumstances.
One thing I do know...if we are seen as or actually support a return to forced bussing we can kiss electoral success goodbye.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden